Reality check for SA

Bafana faced a cold, unpleasant reality on Wednesday night: they are a third-world nation in the football world and Nigeria is a rising superpower.

Outclassed and outplayed by the Super Eagles in the 2-0 defeat at Moses Mabhida Stadium, South Africa were several notches below international standard when it came to finishing.

Coach Gordon Igesund acknowledged that Bafana have to beat Burkina Faso - the runners-up in this year's Africa Cup of Nations - tomorrow to build up momentum for the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Botswana next month.

"We have to go out there and win this game," Igesund said.

"We need to try to get a result. Our squad is now down to 20 players and we'll go out there and try a few things as well as give some players opportunities."

All the old Bafana ailments rose to the surface on Wednesday, including their inability to focus and finish when getting near goal.

It seemed the gains made during the promising Nations Cup campaign have been for nought.

It was also maddening that after a week in which the domestic league experienced a barrage of goals - 13 in four games - the national team floundered in front of goal.

Igesund believes his men suffer from an inferiority complex.

"I told the players to start believing in themselves a lot more," the coach said.

"So what if the opposition have players from Chelsea and Newcastle? We respect them, they are a good team, but we need to realise that we are not inferior.

"It wasn't one-way traffic out there. We had our chances and they had theirs and we took the game to them.

"The big difference between the two teams on Wednesday night was the play in the last third. We tried to thread passes in between defenders but we weren't patient enough."

Igesund is likely to give Luyolo Nomandela and Lebogang Manyama another chance to impress, but it is unclear whether he will go for the safe option of Lerato Chabangu in midfield or give in-form Mamelodi Sundowns man Hlompho Kekana a run.

Nomandela and Manyama looked out of their depth when introduced in the second half.